Bankor

"Swi... wait, what?" Lyseil blinked, and realised it was too late to slink out now since she had already opened her mouth.

"You are to blame for the shenanigans at the medal ceremony, Niall. I was very clear about the requirements of my participation. Just because you didn't hold up your end of the bargin, doesn't mean I'm not going to collect."

"A swimsuit calendar." Zane said again turning his eyes towards Lyseil. "To benefit the citizens of bankor. Rebuilding will take a lot of funds after all, and something to sell to raise them might be nice. It could be a means to raise morale as well." He raised an eyebrow a charming smile on his lips. "Would you be interested, Lyseil?"

"Uh..." She was seriously torn on whether or not this was a good idea or a terrible idea. I mean, it's not like people haven't seen me in a swimsuit before, I guess...

"I... suppose it could be good for morale. And it would be for a good cause."

"Zane..." Niall said. "Your sense of humor is going to get you into trouble some day." He relaxed a little, lips quirking. "Somehow it's mostly managed to get me in trouble instead. I'm not entirely sure how you pull that off..."

He shook his head. "I can't imagine that we brought all that many swimsuits, anyway. Among the many, ah, challenges that such an undertaking would face."

He beamed a smile at the young woman. "Thank you for volunteering, Lyseil. Its appreciated."

Turning, Niall he smiled. "Practice probably?" He paused thoughtfully. "Or maybe I'm just more believable?" That was probably a lie. He looked Niall over. "Well, I have one that will fit you. I can bring it out and you can try it on if you like. As for the rest, well they can be arranged."

"I just need ten to twenty-two more volunteers."

"I will leave that to you." Lyseil raised her hands slightly. "Finding the volunteers, that is."

As for Niall trying on swimwear... she pressed her lips together and said nothing on that. If she said nothing, she might get to see it!

Niall raised one skeptical eyebrow. "A swimsuit for me? What, you want me to be in the this calendar of yours, too?"

He did, however, give Lyseil a covert glance, trying to judge her reaction. Perhaps semi-covert; Z's drinks were somewhat stiffer than Niall usual drank. "Ahhh..." He temporized.

"Of course you're going to be in the calendar, Niall." Z offered as he moved to make another set of drinks for the pair. Passing them their way a moment later, the covert glance Niall gave Lyseil wasn't missed after all. "It needs Captain Alderaan, just that will boost sales remarkably.

He smiled and walked towards the hall. "I'll be back in a moment. I'll fetch that swimsuit and you can try it on." With that he disappeared, leaving the two alone for a moment.

Lyseil cleared her throat as Zanebry disappeared to another part of the ship. "Ah... uhm... I can leave, if you, you know, don't want me around for... this?" she looked to Niall.

Two drinks ago, Niall possibly would have demurred. Of course, those two drinks were undoubtedly what was leading Niall to consider any of this a good idea in the first place.

Niall smiled, one eyebrow going up just a little. "I leave that entirely to your discretion, Lyseil. Although..." His lips quirked. "Perhaps think of it this way. When we do have our first date, some of the pressure will be relieved, because it can't possibly be as strange as seeing me in a swimsuit on a freighter." That made sense, didn't it? Niall had another sip.

Before long, Zanebry would return, with not just one but two swimsuits in hand. "Well, it looks like you to choose at least a little bit."

"We've got this." He held up the first garment, perhaps unsurprisingly there was little cloth to it at all. "Or this." Zane finished holding the other up for inspection. He let his gaze drift to Lyseil. "Which do you like?"

Lyseil flushed. Sure, there was some logic to what he was saying, but... oh gosh, as long as he wasn't going to strip down to change in front of both her and Z. That would be embarrassing.

"I, uh... suppose I should stay behind. It could use a woman's opinion if it looks good on you or not." She said, a touch reserved as she hid her real interest behind a more professional one.

At least Z came back in time before it got even more awkward! Though she was still flushing as she considered the two choices, clutching her datapad a little closer to her chest as she did. "That one," she pointed to the less-revealing option.

"Good girl." He beamed back at, Lyseil. "We're aiming for a tasteful calendar here, not something erotic." The garment chosen by the discerning eye of the young lady, was tossed in Niall, direction. Hopefully the man would be able to catch it after the two drinks Zanebry had fixed him. "The first door down that way is the closet, the second my room." He gestured down the hall. "You can change in there or any of the rooms further down. Other then the room for the droids they should be empty."

"While we're on the topic of tasteful swimwear though, would you prefer something in one-piece or two, Lyseil?"

Lyseil Panteer wrote:"I, uh... suppose I should stay behind. It could use a woman's opinion if it looks good on you or not." She said, a touch reserved as she hid her real interest behind a more professional one.

"I, ah, think that I should appreciate your opinion on it, yes." Niall murmured, flushing a bit himself. Entirely true, although, like her, the reason was perhaps not quite as stated.

He caught the suit Z tossed to him easily enough, although he was just the slightest bit unsteady as he rose to his feet. "Right, then. This way? I'll be right back."

He did pause long enough to listen for Lyseil's response as he left the room, though.

Of course she had a good sense of fashion - and it would be sooo improper for an Alderaanian noble to wear such a teeny-tiny speedo!

"Oh, me?!" She didn't expect to be asked about that right now. "Uhm... I think, regardless if it's a one or two-piece, as long as it's not too... revealing." Lyseil had seen plenty of one-pieces that were more skimpy than the two-pieces counterparts.

"I'll keep that in mind when I'm out shopping then." He replied easily, his eyes studying the young woman appraisingly for a few moments. As Niall left, the room his lips curled into a small smile.

"Niall is quite a nice guy, a bit silly when he'd drunk though." He offered her a playful wink. "So, do try and treat him well."

"Mm," she nodded, smiling a little. "It seems he's been lucky to have found a friend in you though. Have you known eachother long?"

A soft chuckle, rolled it's way from his lips, "I'm not quite sure I'd call him lucky, a lot of my friends don't make it out with all of their pieces." Bringing his cup to his lips he took a sip. "From his time on Nar Shaddaa, though I admit he was a bit more of a geek then. Maybe I've rubbed off on him a bit?"

"He can still do with a bit more learning about loosening up though." His lips curled into a playful smile. "You interested in marrying him?"

"Niall always was a bit of a dork from what I remember when we were younger," she snickered playfully, fingers tapping a little idly on her datapd. Which of course stopped at the question of marriage.

"Uh... I... what?" Lyseil blinked. "That's... a rather sudden and direct question! I'm not going to answer that!"

"Oh? so it's been a live long tradition? I'll remember that."

At her reaction he couldn't help but laugh. "You don't need to. Was a mild curiosity, at most. If you were though, I'd suggest you wait a while... He could use a couple more exes, and he needs to put a finger on his, 'it's complicated.'" He nodded mostly to himself. "Three or four years, he'll be ready."

Even hindered by alcohol, it didn't take that long for Niall to remove his Republic uniform. And, of course, it wasn't exactly a challenge to put on the swimsuit Z provided.

Niall stepped back into the room, his chin held high, standing casually. Body language was something he knew how to control. The slight blush on his cheeks wasn't. The dark suit fit him well, neither too tight nor too loose. Shooting another quick semi-covert glance at Lyseil, Niall was suddenly glad for all the extra training he'd been putting in. He was no longer quite so skinny as he once was, with an even spread of muscle making him much more fighting fit. The only thing that marred his pale skin was a small pink patch in the shape of a star just over his heart.

"Well..." Niall cleared his throat. With one hand he waved vaguely at himself. "Here I am." His lips quirked. "Errr..." He glanced back and forth between the two, one eyebrow going up. What were they talking about?

"It's complicated"?! What does that even mean?

Lyseil felt thoroughly confused for a moment there, as she had no idea what Z was talking about. Why should he have mor ex'es? Was it some macho-thing, that Niall needed to claim more women before settling down with one?

At least Niall provided a sufficient distraction from asking Z about all of that, and her amber eyes widened slightly at the sight - soon followed by a blush. "Oh..." she held the datapd a little higher, partially hiding her mouth and reaction behind it for a few seconds before lowering it down again. "That looks very good on you."

"Yeah?" Niall had fairly good control of his expressions, but when the woman you were interested in looked at you and said that, it was impossible not to grin at least a little.

"It's not too much?" Niall looked down at himself, frowning. "It feels rather... tight." He turned this way and that, studying himself from different angles.

"It seems we have a winner then." Zanebry declared with a smile. The lady was quite obviously pleased after all. Niall, had managed a rather timely appearance, and Z was happy not to have to answer the barrage of questions about to come his way.

Walking over to Niall, he clapped his hand on his shoulder. "Your next assignment Niall, is to get me a list of names of beings who might be interested, we need at least another ten months worth."

Lyseil's lips pressed together as she studied Niall more closely when he said it felt 'tight'. "Does it? I mean, uh, it looks really good."

I wonder if I can manage to take a picture of him with my datapad without them noticing... Because goodness gracious me!